vpance
Member
Existing contracts were probably legally binding.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Microsoft announces purchase of Minecraft creator Mojang
- Thread starter Quentyn
- Start date
Existing contracts were probably legally binding.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
That's actually exactly what you do when you want to make your investment back ASAP...
notoriousKTR
Member
$2.5 Billion is crazy. I wonder who Microsoft was bidding against? To think that Minecraft is worth more than the LA Clippers.
KojiKnight
Member
I think it's too early to get too excited about it. Promises are easy to make and even easier to break, and Microsoft doesn't have a great track record and I don't expect them to turn on a dime now.
Yep. If I had a product worth $2.5 billion to a mega corporation, I'd be selling as well.
I don't get the feeling they were seriously bidding against anyone (other than themselves of course, lol).
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Looks like MS is buying their way into your living room.
Does PS MineCraft shut down?
Does PS MineCraft shut down?
MightyHedgehog
Member
MC is a community-driven phenomenon. They impose limitations, they start to erode the value of what they just bought. Their course of action is to keep it going and growing, not stop it in its tracks. If they really bought into Mojang for future IPs, which I highly doubt, it would make sense what you've said since Rare and other creators is what they bought into previously. This is not the same situation.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
Yep...
PC Version is $27. $27x10,473 = $282,771 in 24 hours...gee, wonder why anyone would want that amount of money.
Oh, and that's just the PC version, don't forget X360, X1, PS3, PS4, Apple, Android...
Damn.
Well it may be all locked down of course yes. But I choose to believe for now until the first sign of trouble
And this is from a sony pony...civilstrife
Member
This isn't about a brand, or a game.
Microsoft just purchased an entire generation of gamers.
Microsoft just purchased an entire generation of gamers.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Yeah and none of them can get jobs. It's so precious. ;|
The Real Abed
Perma-Junior
Just don't take my Mac version away.
Also, maybe give them the resources to completely port it from Java to something that doesn't run like ass.
And put it on Steam maybe.
Also, maybe give them the resources to completely port it from Java to something that doesn't run like ass.
And put it on Steam maybe.
Off-Kilter
Banned
I'm a bit wary of the wording.
Spencer said that the game will still be available on all those platforms, but what about the future updates? Are those not coming? Or will we have a situation where "update 1.x will be available first on Windows and Xbox One" situation?
Spencer said that the game will still be available on all those platforms, but what about the future updates? Are those not coming? Or will we have a situation where "update 1.x will be available first on Windows and Xbox One" situation?
Well new management gives the smallest light of hope of change. And this first step seems promising.
Don't get me wrong I expected and still expect this to eventually become anti-consumer (and hope I'm wrong). But there's nothing to show that today.
rokkerkory
Member
Community-driven means no additional revenue stream from in-game purchases.
There won't be a Minecraft 2 and they won't throw hundreds of staff at it, Mojang are still actively developing the game and adding new features, and I doubt Microsoft would want to disrupt that process.
Dorsal Axe
Member
I don't know what to make of this. Microsoft's ownership that is (I don't blame Notch for selling up and getting his sanity back). The specter of Rare still looms...
Of course, there has been a lot of recent change across the helm of Microsoft. A lot of preconceived notions how they will handle this acquisition may no longer apply in the Nadella/Spencer era. Interesting times ahead. Maybe Microsoft can bring some of the focus that has been lacking from Minecraft's development since the beginning.
Of course, there has been a lot of recent change across the helm of Microsoft. A lot of preconceived notions how they will handle this acquisition may no longer apply in the Nadella/Spencer era. Interesting times ahead. Maybe Microsoft can bring some of the focus that has been lacking from Minecraft's development since the beginning.
Disney. *looks around for Disney ninjas*
Ingueferroque
Banned
As long as Jeb and Dinnerbone stay in charge, I'm good. Can't wait to see where they go next after the updates for Minecraft slow down.
PsihoPerihelion
Member
You can always read the OP to know that.
vpance
Member
Well it may be all locked down of course yes. But I choose to believe for now until the first sign of trouble
Even MS would not be so stupid to announce any platforms to be cut from support on existing or future titles today for such a big game. That would be PR suicide
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
That's no real answer. Just means someone else gets a cut of the larger picture.
It sounds like money in their words. This is the sound of control. This generation of consoles is all going to be small proxy wars for other developers. I think it just masks the traditional competition argument. It wasn't so much an indie scene as it was a trial period for console developers to buy out smaller games that did well.
MightyHedgehog
Member
On closed platforms where it is long-ago accepted to sell additional content, I don't think the same rules apply. On the PC or more or less open platform desktop, that won't fly. MS has crashed and burned with that space before. On the consoles/handhelds, anyway, it's mostly licensed characters and worlds that are part of the attraction to the bits of DLC you see being sold on X360, X1, PS3, and PS4. Revenue is high just selling the existing game because more kids get into it every year...they don't necessarily need paid-for add-ons. I mean, right now, Minecraft is effectively the only true evergreen software aimed at the younger set on PC and mobile...and perhaps consoles, too. It can stay full-priced forever and never need proper sequels to keep its appeal alive like 99.99% of other games across the spectrum do. A true golden goose that needs good management to stay alive. MS can open it up in a way that Mojang was never equipped to, by localizing it for every region in the world, going after site licenses for schools and offering enhancements for educators as well as improving its performance and giving it a real marketing push it never had before.
Careful. I wouldn't call those consumers gamers. In a sense that they won't add to MS's first or 3rd party sales on XB1. Just console sales if future games are exclusive. We all saw what happened with the Wii.
In general I agree with Rick Sherlund:
'We don't view this acquisition as a signal of Microsoft's intent to double down on Xbox but consider it an attempt to better address mobile on a cross-platform basis,' said Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund in a note to clients this week. 'This also appears to be consistent with (Microsoft) CEO Satya Nadella's mobile and cloud strategy.'
Minecraft has very little to do with the Xbox strategy; it's all about MS's new direction into "cloud first and mobile first".
tiredheadcrab
Member
Just a question running through my head. Since MS has the Minecraft IP any purchases will basically go into MS's wallet. Now i am assuming Sony has some control over what is on the PSN store. Would they pull the game from the store because the publisher is MS? I am not sure Japanese business men would like a competitor getting money from their store or getting statistics of its users.
Duxxy3
Member
This may be their end goal.
My generation could have been bought by whomever held the rights to mario, zelda and metroid. Teens and twenties of today basically just have call of duty and gta - so they can go anywhere. The kids though... they all play minecraft the way that I used to play mario, zelda and metroid.
Other parts of Sony do business with Microaoft and through them money goes to Microsoft. I doubt they'll allow pettiness in this case but you can never know.
Is this for real? Of course they wouldn't as that would be stupid.
Freeman
Banned
Just 80 more million units at 30$ profit to get the money back. They will get their money back by 2015, sure.
Sony has no reason to not allow MS to publish games on PS if they follow the same rules as every other publisher.
Sony has no reason to not allow MS to publish games on PS if they follow the same rules as every other publisher.
Quadraphonic
Member
There's split precedents.
On one hand, we have the often brought up Rare.
Rare released GBC/GBA/DS games because, at the time, Microsoft had no competing handhelds, so it was a viable product to consider. You wouldn't see a Wii version of Viva Pinata, but a DS version made sense. However, now with a big push for Windows Phone and Surfaces, that might be seen as counter-productive. But ultimately, Rare is an over-rated company that's produced nothing but mediocre garbage since MS bought them
On another hand we have Skype.
Skype is on every god damn platform known to man and is kept that way. Because it's a money-maker. And also a life-line for many people. But Microsoft fucked that up by merging it with MSN Messenger and doing very little to improve Skype since they bought it. It's completely stagnated.
On the third hand is Microsoft Game Studios with Wordament.
The Wordament team, now releasing their second game, has put out products for iOS, Android and Windows Phones, in addition to Windows RT/8. And you can even get Xbox achievements by playing on those platforms. It's truly amazing and a clear shift from everything else the company has done.
So which camp will Mojang fall into? Staying exclusive where MS competes and turning the company into shit? Or keeping the multi-platform dream alive, but still fucking it up? Or will it be like Wordament, and actually seem like a weirdly polished product?
Sure, if they pay their employees zero dollars until then.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
Notch probably bought his ticket to some private lodge 300,000 miles away where he'll meet his butler and private chef for a years worth of spoilage and monarchy.
I don't think that's really how it works.
FeenixRising
Banned
I'm going to screenshot when the monthly top sellers list comes in.
1. Minecraft - PS4 (Publisher: Microsoft)
1. Minecraft - PS4 (Publisher: Microsoft)
Salty Hippo
Member
You believe 0.01% wouldn't?
Nightengale
Member
The scenario you're describing is petty console war nonsense.
Banjo-Kazooie
Member
edit
D
Deleted member 17706
Unconfirmed Member
Congrats to Notch!
I hope all of the people who moved to Mojang over the last couple of years don't get screwed over.
I hope all of the people who moved to Mojang over the last couple of years don't get screwed over.
Freeman
Banned
You mean if they don't quit?
Maybe MS will like the experience and start publishing other games on PlayStation as well. Who needs Xbox One? MS sure doesn't, they have infinite money on their war chest to make up for every unsold Xbox One.
I gotta say, I'm really intrigued what they plan to do with the IP. I would never have dreamed of buying an XBO but likely my kid will be begging me for one by the time whatever minecraft related has been released. Probably a good excuse to pick one up in 2016/2017.
Good on Notch and team for building such a success. And good on MS for buying up popular IPs to boost its brand.
Good on Notch and team for building such a success. And good on MS for buying up popular IPs to boost its brand.
That's classic Microsoft thinking: that they could buy a generation (as if such a thing is even possible).
Microsoft bought a popular game, maybe the most popular game. They can screw it up in an instance.
At that pace it would take 24 YEARS!!! To recoup the 2.5 Billion dollars spent on Mine craft not including console and mobile platforms. Don't get it twisted M.S. is not going to recoup this ridiculously expensive investment from the Original Mine craft.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
They have to have a plan. That much money is ridiculous.